Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-03

and there are Is one story and ALP two story
houses in process of construction, Thess one
story houses aggregate 1854 900, and the two
story over q, 5OO, 900, and the general average
size Of the two story frames 10 eight rooms.
As to business buildings, nearly q. DOC, 900
worth have been completed within year or
are now in process Of construction, and five
new four story buildings, ten three story and
thirty two story business blocks are now
being built. l give these figures from the
board Of trade to show exactly what Is being
done. believe they are correct. There are
three banks here, two Of which have deposits
which often run up to 81, 1000.
The fitting Of these banks as to plate glass,
elegant furniture and expensive fittings will
compare favorably with any in the United
States. In all the cities of the west the
banks have fine offices, and they make, as a
rule, great amounts Of money. They get big
interest and have plenty Of applications for
loans.
There ID . wholesale salt house here which is
doing business Of 81 ,0OO, 600 year, and the
lumber and building interests are large.
Lumber is high, and the demand exceeds the
supply. - ..-...
prominent real estate dealers Of the city, 1
took ride over large part Of Wichita, and
it il impossible for me to give an adequate
idea Of 1t to one who has never seen new
western city. The town 10 nat and 1t lies on
the big Arkansas river at the point where the
Little Arkansas empties into IL. Its soil is as
rich As the delta of the Nile, and the wide
streets Of the town are as black as though
paved with coal dust The old parts of the
town are we'll shaded with cottonwood trees,
some Of which are as big around as my waist
Il only weigh no pounds, and some Of which
are over 16 years old. They would pass for
80 years Of age in Washington City, and their
growth dates back only to the beginning Of
the town in 1870. The streets of the
city are unpaved and the sidewalks are in
many Of the streets made of boards. The
houses in the old parts of the city are largely
frame, though many Of the later build ings
are Of brick and stone. These houses are as
good as those you will find in an eastern town
Of about the same size, and the new houses
are better. They are well furnished. and
their people on an average are as C ultured as
the readers Of this letter. The new houses
and l found these going up everwhere--are
of the latest form of house architecture,
many Of them after the plans in the books
and magazines published on this subject.
They are of all varieties, though mainly in
expensive. mean by this that there are no
$4,000 and 100000 houses going up. The
average house Of the best class ranges from
$1,000 to $4,000 in cost. though there may
be some more expensive.
The wide extent Of territory which these
houses cover is wonderful, and big fields often
separate fine dwellings. They are scattered in
every direction, as though some house build
ing angel had sown them in the wind Of O
western cyclone and they had fallen every
where. Street cars and motor lines Of vari-
Gus kinds are built or have been projected to
the various additions, and as a rule the
Wichita man will have to ride to his business.
&*%
As to business blocks, the business Of WITCH
ita now done on two streets which cross each
other at right angles and the crossing point
OF which forms the center Of the city. The
older business buildings are Of one and two
stories, and the new ones are from three to
four stories, though one or two five story
buildings are in process Of construction. I
am told, though Mr.. Allison says this is not
true, that there is a quicksand underlying
the town that will not permit the building of
buildings larger than four or five stories with
out piling. Big foundations are laid for
large buildings, and the foundation walls are
in certain instances made Of stones six feet
square. These two business streets are very
wide and Douglass is 40 feet wide, or nearly
as wide as Pennsylvania avenue. Store
rooms, and the merchants carry good stocks
too, rent on these streets for from 800 to
$500 per month, and there is a greater de-
mand than is now supplied. One concern is
now putting up building which will cost
500, 900 and they have been offered rent Of
81 500 a month by Gondolfo, hotel man, and
they would not accept it. A store 50xSO &C.
cupied by Cole & Jones, dry goods mer-
chants, brings in $500 a month, and as to
houses, 3-room houses rent for SIS to $50 a
month, while S-room houses rent for about
$50. There is more demand for houses than
can be supplied, and some few people are
waiting in tents for them to be built.
The business Of the city, actual and not
prospective, consists of three quarters of a
mile of buildings on Main street and mile
on Douglass, with a little business done in a
few blocks jutting Off from these. There are
many one story shanties and bricks mixed up
with good business blocks in this part of the
city, and the sidewalks in front are largely
plank. There are several lines of mule power
street cars, and the town has many fine car
riages and its new drive good horses. Nearly
all have made money and many of them are
spending it. -.
These Wichita men have implicit faith in
the future of their town, though some of
them will tell you that there may be reac-
ton from the speculation of this spring.
They are bright and pushing and have more
faith than any one l have ever met They
have twenty-six churches. about eight uni
versities started, and they are going to have
Young Mems Christian association building
which will cost a fortune Kansas believes
in schools, and if Wichita comes up to her
prospective surroundings she will be the
Athens Of the west and the Boston bev ond
the Mississippi. FRANK G. CARPENTER